Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-04

took the train for
THE VILLAGE OF SAkAI AND TIE TEN
PIES OF sUMIYosHI.
The place three hundred years ago was
the headquarters of the Christians in this
part, and they reckoned among their num-
bers two of Hideyoshi's friends. The
grounds are wonderfully pretty and in
good order, but the beggars are so trouble
some as to drive away all enjoyment. Late
in the afternoon visited the girls school
of Mrs. Araki, where sewing and cooking
are taught. j found them pouring over
some fashion plates Of "The Delineator"
of 1886, trying their best to understand
the mysteries of European dress These
poor creatures asked my advice, and |
gave them all the information | had, which
was very little; but / did say word for
the beautiful native costume and told
them boldly what guys they made of them
selves by aping us. 1t is Of no use to try
to stop the stream, for the Empress has
just been here and has expressed herself
(fool in favor of foreign dress. Nothing
in 0zaka has pleased me so much as the
kind, motherly face of Mrs. Araki, in
which the light of true Christian lowell
ness shows constantly. That her face and
sweet manners charmed me, is very evident,
when | say that against all my opinions
and with all my love for what is beautiful, !
could not see her so patiently studying the
fashion plates and not promise to send,
upon my return to America, what the ladies
call "cut paper patterns"
VISITS TO THE SCHOOLS.
In the evening a visit to night school
where young men are learning English
gave me the opportunity of making a
speech in one syllable words. Everybody
is studying English, and thus far in my
travels in the country | have had more
difficulty in understanding my own lam
guage than in understanding japanese
My school visiting closed with the most
charming visit Of all to japanese kinder
garten one of the four public institutions
of the kind in Ozaka. In one room, hav-
ing been shown the work of the children
In colored paper weaving, straw and
worsted, and having as usual exerted my
self to find some adjectives of admiration
for the work, ! was at last introduced to
the workers. A large, cheerful, one-story
building, divided into school rooms where
the different classes sit at desks as in
this, for | had hoped to see these little
men and women upon the floor, and with
the aid of their teachers put together
blocks and bits of paper, and show the
natural ingenuity of the nation often by
discovering new combinations, such an
event being a signal for great rejoicing.
There is a garden and also a very large
room, heated by an American stove, for
use on sunless or rainy days, and in this
room, through the glass sides of which the
sunlight streamed, | saw several hundred
of these little dolls ranged in rows.
1t was the prettiest little army have
ever seen, and had it not been for the few
transformed into very ugly monkeys by
their so-called foreign clothes, the scene
would have been without blot. Soon
the music began a lively air, as
lively an air as an organ can
he induced to give, remind
ing me somewhat of the ''Miya Sauna" of
''The Mikado," which, by the way. is a
japanese song, and the little creatures be-
gan to sing | do not like child solo.
but a child chorus is heavenly, and this
was no exception Presently they danced,
the straw sandals making little noise, but
the rough boots of the poor, little monkeys
rasped my ears as we'll as the floor in a
horrible manner The singing still kept
up, and what with the double exertion and
the having to turn continually, to see how
the foreigner liked it, the musical part
suffered severely. / began to laugh, and
at once all the seriousness of the whole
proceeding was gone and general tumult
ensued, in which sandals were lost and
quite hopelessly mixed upon the floor;
they doubled up and screamed with merri-
ment, their tiny patches of blue shaved
skull, seeming in constant danger of crack
ing. When the music stopped there was
a truce, and the little army marched away
in solemn silence as the the teachers
counted step, "ichi, nj, ichi, nj" A koto
or harp was in one corner covered MP, and
| felt like transferring its cotton gown to
the dismal parlor organ and letting its ne
elected strings give the music for these lit
tie feet, which too willingly leave the foot
prints of their fathers.
\ VISIT TO THE MINT.
Along the river embankment, where the
large weeping willows are in bud, the birds
are holding spring festival in the new
warmth the brightness of sunlight is half
the beauty of the world. In the distance
| see smoking chimneys, which is at the
Mint. After three-quarters of an hour
spent in signing my name to many papers.
and the proving of something, don't know
what, to the satisfaction of everybody.
was at last admitted The main building
is of granite in Greek style, ilanked by two
red brick affairs in no style at all. After
having seen stacks of gold twenties in the
90, 4
der honestly at stacks of twenty-cent
pieces, but | hope | succeeded. The ma
chinery is mainly that of the old Mint at
Hongkong, though many pieces are from
Germany, and some of japanese manufact-
ure. Nearly 700 men are employed in the
Mint and adjoining works, which cover
forty acres. The Mint was started in 1871
under European management, but, like all
Government positions, they are now, with
one or two exceptions, filled by japanese.
From the Mint to the Castle is not far, and
there | found machinery which did inter
est me in the shops where huge
CANON WERE BEING BORED
And guns made. Guns brought from
Italy have been copied, and also MANY
from Germany. The bronze castings here
and the whole apparatus are large, and
with every Improvement to facilitate the
work. A huge bronze tori is being con-
structed and the upper bar, sixty feet in
length, made of bronze as thick as NV
hand, has already been furnished; it is to
go to Toxic, where it will indeed be am
ornament to the capital
The castle is really a ruin, but the foun-
dations of the place afford to-day strong
hold seemingly impregnable. The cut
stones which are used in this work are as
enormous as any used by the old Romans.
and 1t will probably stand forever.
THREE YEARS AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF
AMERICA
A monastery and temple were built here,
and for 100 years fiourished till Nobunaea
attacked the place; even then it would not
have been taken had Nobunaga not ap
appealed to the Mikado to order the fort
ress to be surrendered. Hideyoshi repaired
the damage done by Nobunaga. and the
most elaborate and costly buildings Of all
the empire were raised by him within the
walls. 1yeyasu took the castle in 16I5.
and it remained in wonderful magnifcence
till our time, when in 1868 the ToiSuea-
was burned it to the ground. The broad
moat and pDahspkmanta rap,,;, CT